As connections between devices, for example, it is possible to directly connect a digital camera to a printer to print desired images, or to connect a digital camera to a display (TV monitor or the like) to play a slideshow that automatically displays images in the digital camera on the display (use of a device function due to the connection between devices will be collectively referred to as “service” hereinafter) and the like.
For example, the user sometimes wants to use a plurality of services such as a print service, display service, and the like. In this case, the user confirms images which are captured by the digital camera and are displayed on a high-resolution, large-screen display, and selects desired images. Then, the user connects the digital camera to the printer and prints the selected images.
However, since a troublesome operation is required to switch these connections, it is a common practice to temporarily load captured images of the digital camera into a personal computer, to launch an application for playing a slideshow of images on the personal computer, to confirm and select desired images, and to then issue a print request of the selected images from the personal computer side to the printer side.
Even in this case, a series of these operations are cumbersome since the user must manually switch connections between devices via cables, and perform the temporary loading operations of images into the personal computer.
The invention associated with “video display apparatus” of patent reference 1 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-298677) discloses the following contents. That is, images stored in a TV receiver which comprises a video printer are displayed on a video display unit of a remote controller, and a print request of a designated image is issued from the remote controller.
The invention associated with “digital image formation and printing system” of patent reference 2 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-69405 (U.S. Pat. No. 6,552,743)) discloses the following contents. An image in a digital camera is displayed on a display equipped on a printer by making a direct communication with the printer by a simple operation, and is printed after confirmation.